Timing device.



H. S. HATFIELD.

TIMING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED m3. s, 1913.

Patented Apr. 28, 191

HENRY STAFFORD HATFIELD, OF BRUNSWICK, GERMANY.

TIMING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 28, 19-14.

Application filed March 8, 1913. Serial No. 753,113.

To ail whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, I'IENRY STAFFORD Hxrrmu), a citizen of Great Britain, residing at Brunswick, xermany, have invented a ne and useful Timing Device, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to timing de-'.

vices, which are intended either to keep an electric circuit, which is normally open, closed for a certain period or to keep a circuit, which isnormally closed, open for a certain period, the commencement of this period being determined, by a'joint rotatory motion of two tubes," which communicate with each other and contain a conducting fluid, bringing about a difference of height between the two levels of this fluid. and the duration of the said period being determined in such a manner that, on the raised level sinking, the other level goes on forcing a non-coinlucting fluid through a system of narrow openings, until the said difference of height iscqualized. Such a device is e. g. applicable to an arrangement, in which electric lamps are to be kept in circuit for only a certain period, or where a current limiter, which, one certain current strength in a circuit beingexceeded, breaks the said circuit, is to be rendered ineffective for a certain period by being short-eircuited. The system ofnarrow openings, through which the non-conducting fluid is forced, can, 0. 9., beformed by a porous p'lug (say a plug of retort-carbon or clay) the Whole system can also consist of a single opening, a; g; of a capillary tube.. The non-conducting fluid can be either liquid or gaseous. In such we'll-kni'iwn devices of thisv type as are described c. g. in the German patentspecification 202634, tllat-alttantity. of non-conducting fluid, the flowing of which through the narrow openings secures the observation of the required period, already lies, before the sa id rotatory motion is effected, between thatlevel of the conducting fluid, which is adja cent to the narrow openings, and'these open ings themselves. 'The device is therefore operated by means ofa simple'rotatory motion of the communicating tubes. Hence, on the device being putinto operation, no displacement of the conducting fluid with regard to'tho tubes takes place in opposition to the direction, in which this fluid afterward moves, when forcing .out the non-conducting fl,uid.- Therefore by means of ,the

conducting fluid the circuit can be made or broken only once, just because'forthis purpose only that motion of the fluid is available, which results from theforcing out of the non-conducting fluid. \Vhen, therefore,

with the aid of such a device a normally open circuit'is to he kept closed for a certain peri od, only the. circuit-breaking required at the end of this period can be brought about by means of the. sinking of the fluid-level, consequently by employing contacts within the tubes, the cutting in of the current, on the other hand, must be effected, when operating the device, by means of contacts lying outside the tubes. lnversely, on keeping a normally closed circuit open for a certain period, only the requisite making of the circuit can be effected by means of contacts ly-- ing within the tubes, while for the initial breaking of the circuit external contacts are necessary.

In the new device. the conducting fluid is, before the device is put into opcrationfin the same position with regard to the tubes as after the termination of the period controlled by the device. The device is operated by a rotatory motion, which consists of two oppositely directed, equally great partial rotatory motions, the quantity of fluid,

\vhich is to be forced out, only reaching its place on. the first partial rotatory motion being made, by flowing across from the levelof the conducting fluid to be raised, to the other one. Consequently for the making and breaking of the particular circuit two motions of the conducting fluid relatively to the tubes are available, the first one of which (which may take place rapidly) serves for doing away with the normal state" of connection, while this state is restored at the end of the second one (which takes place Both alterations in the state of connection can be carried out bythe means just described without contacts lying outside slowly) the tubes. i

1 hen the conducting fluid of the new timing device is intended to form, atthe commencement of the flowing of the non conducting fluid through the narrowop'enings, a conducting connection between, two contacts, which connection isopened after the passage of the said fluid by the sinking of the raised level, it will be found convenient to so dispose the contacts that the connection between them is only effected after-the: com- 2 pletion of the twov partial rotatory motions.

his will prevent the possibility of the circuit, which is to be closed only for a certain period, being switched in for an unhmited 'time, which might occur,'if only-the firstenced' by a variation in the amount of the partial rotatory motions.

In't-he annexeddrawing: Figure 1 shows.

a form of the timing device according to the present invention, which is suitable for mak- 111g acurrent limiter, ino 'erative for a certam period, the current 11 iterand the timing device forming a single piece of apparatus. Fig.2 shows a second form'of such an arrangement. Fig.3 shows a third form of the new timing device, suitable for closing a circuit for a certain period. i

In Fig. 1 a glass tube a closed upon itself andforming approximately an ellipse has fused to one of its sides a glass tube 6, which 3 communicates with a glass tube a perpendicular to ZL. Opposite the junction of the tubes a and b the tube a is closed 'with the excep- Q tion of an opening, into which a plug (t. of retort-carbon fits tightly. The lower part 3 of each of the tubes a, b and c is filled, when the device is in the state shown in the drawing, with mercury, he remaining part of the hermetically sea ed glass'body containing hydrogen gas. In the mercury con- 40 tamed in the tube 0' there oats an iron core 4 e.'- A contact f is fused into the bottom part of the tube a and a contact f into the botton of-the tube a. A coil g, the terminals of which are marked 9 and g surrounds the '45- upper part of the tube 0. The glass body is fixed by means of a holder \h on a plate hfl which -isfitted with an index 11. The plate It is-journaled rotatably on a pivot is,

wgchis fitted -to1a base-plate'l to be dis- 5'0" 0 d vertically, This baseplate further ears'a scale z'and two stops Z and Z 1 In order'to illustrate the mode of operation of the device there are indicated in the drawing the two mains m and m of a con- -li'isl tinuous current supply and two incandescent 'lamps 12., each with its terminals n and n3; j The lamps are connected each by its terniif nal n with the main m and by its terminal I ni'with the terminal g of the coil 9. The co contact f is connected with the terminal g and the contactf with the main m When, with the device in the condition shown in the drawing, the strengthof the current} flowing through the lamps exceeds a certain; amount, the c'oilzlg" draws theiron core e into vents a too itself, so that the mercury leaves thetube b and by this means the connection between the contacts f and f is broken. On a reduction in thestrength of the current, 0. g. the cutting out of-a lamp, makes it possible to render the current limiter inoperative and therebyrto restore, the connection between the contacts'f" and 1?. When for a certain period the current limiter is to be inoperative at any strength of current, first of all the glass body must be given a counter clockwise rotatory motion. Duririg such rotation 'a' certain quantity of hydrogen gets past the mercury into the part of the tube a lying below the carbon plug (I. On the glass body being rotated back again this quantity=of hydrogen is imprisoned between the level of the mercury contained in the right-hand part of the tube a and. the car-' bon plug. The level of the mercury in the tube b and that of the mercury in the right -'hand part of the tube a thereupon assume the positions shown in dotted lines. When the coil 9 now draws in the core 0, on the current reaching a certain strength, the vmercury-level in the tube 1) will nevertheless not sink low enough for the connection between the contacts f and f to be interrupted. Through the.over-pressure acting in consequence of the difference in height'of the two mercury-levels on the hydrogen imprisoned between the right-hand mercury-level and the carbon plug, the hydrogen is gradually forced through the pores of the carbon plug, 0

so that the mercury-level in the right-hand part of the tube arises more and more, while that in the tube 6 sinks by degrees. When the mercury-level in the tube 1) has sunk again nearly to its former position, the current limiter is again capable of cutting ,out the lamps at a certain current-strength. The .duration of the period, for which the current limiter is made inoperative, depends on the angle, through which the glass body is tilted, as'with the size of this angle the quantity of hydrogen passing from one mercury-level to the other increases. When the scale is correspondingly graduated, the duration; of the said period may be directl read off on. the said scale. g reat rotatory motion ofi/the glass body and the stop Z? facilitates the find- .ing again of the normal-position.

In the second example, Fig. 2, two glass, tubes a and a are disposed with a slight The stop-Z pt relative difference in- .hei ht and are con- *fnected above and below y'two -U-shaped glass tubes a and a. The'tube a is closed, where it communicates with the tubea,- with the exception of an opening, into which a plug d made of retort ca'rbon is tightly Ifitted. .At its left-hand end the tube a is iprovided at the bottom with a small cup a {and at the, top with, a pocket-aJ- Intothe- Itube athere 1s fuseda contact and into connected up, 6.

the cu p a a contact f An electromagnetic body 'g surrounded by a coil g is fixed to'the glass body by means of two clamps o and 0 The'terminals of the 'coil are marked g and g; The glass body is fixed by means of a holder It on a plate 7L2, this plate is rotatably journaled on a ivot la'fitted to a base-plate l, which is to be disposed vertically and is provided with two stops Z and Z The tubes a and a as well as the cup (1 are filled, when the device is in the state shown in the drawing, with mercury, the remainder of the hermetically sealed glass body contains hydrogen gas. A small iron bar e lies on the mercury menisci projecting'above the tube a" and the cup a. The left-hand part of the apparatus again represents a current limiter, the small iron bar e being lifted (the apparatus being suitably corresponding to the arrangement'in Fig. 1), on the electro-magnet- -g being 'excited to a certain extent, from off the mercury menisci and the connection between the twom'ercury menisci being thus interrupted. When the current limiter is to be made inoperative for a certain period, the glass'body must be brought from the position' shown in the drawing, where it touches the stop l,'by arotatory motion in the counterclockwise directionto lie against the stop 1. During this rotation mercury flows out of the-tubes a and a through the tube a, into the pocketa", while hydrogen enters the tube a. On the glass body being rotated back into the'position shown in the drawin the mercury, which had entered the poo et a, returns into the tube ;a.only

after the completion of the two partial rotatory motions necessary for operating the device, a certain amount of hydrogen is imprisoned in the' tube and a mercury connection is established between the contacts 7' and f", the two mercury levels taking up '1 the positions shown in."dotted lines The current limiter is by this means againinoperative, until the hydrogen inclosed in'the tube a has been forced out and the mercury has left the tube a. v v For operating the device shown in Fig. 3 special gear is made use oflswhich arrange ment is generally speaking of advanta' e,

when the timing device is to be fitted with a device, which counts, how often the timing device has been operated, or with a device, which permits of the timing device being used only after a coin has been placed in.

the apparatus. A glass tube a closed upon itself, approximately straight as to its righthand part" and curved as to its left-hand part, is closed in its right-hand part, about half way up this part, with the exception of an opening, into which a plug d of retortcarbon is tightly fitted. Into the bottom of the-tube a a contact 1 is fused and into a pocket a of its left-hand part a contact f.

of hydrogen will be I The hermetically sealed glass body'is filled,

journaled, on the shaft of which a crank 1' is fixed; The crank-pin 7' is connected by means of a link 8 witha pivot t fitted to the eye h". For the purpose of illustrating the mode of operation of; the -device there are indicated in the drawing a battery incandescent lamp n, the termina s of which are marked 72. and if. The terminal n is connected ivith the contact f and the terminal n is connected with one pole of the battery, the other pole of which is connected with the contact f -With the device inthe state shown in the drawing the lamp'is not switched When this lamp is to bev put in circuit-for a certain period, the button (1 must be turned around once. During this turning of the button the glass body will be caused to first of all perform a rotatory mo tion in the counterclockwise direction, a certain amount of hydrogen gas passing into 11, and an .the part of the glass tube a lying below the carbon plug; the glass body thereupon reverses the sense of rotation. and returns on the completion of the turning of the button into the position shown in the drawing, the amount of hydrogenvgas, which has passed below the carbon plug becoming imprisoned between the right-hand nercury-level and the carbon plug and the two mercury-levels assuming the positions indicated 'by dotted lines. Between thecontact-s f and f a conducting connection is ,thus established,- so that the lamp is in (circuit. Through the difference in height, existing between the two mercury-levels, the imprisoned amount gradually forced through the pores of the carbon plug, so that the mercury-levels will slowly return into the positions-shown, the lamp being again out out, when the left-hand mercury-level has left the contact f.

I claim:

1. A timing device comprising a tube closed on itself, a conducting fluid filling a part of the tube, a non-conducting fluid of a lesser specific gravity than the conducting fluid filling the remahider of the tube, the

said conducting fluid forming two separate upper surfaces, means adapted to rotate the said tube through a certain angle and back again for each setting of the said device, which angle issufiiciently'great to allow a portion of the non-conduct-mg fluid to flbw past the conducting fluid from one of the in the bore of the said tube, which is formed I by a system of fine openings adapted to form a passage for the non-conducting fluid.

2. A timing device comprising a tube closed on itself, a conducting fluid filling a part of the tube, a non-conducting fluid of a lesser specific gravity than the conducting fluid filling the remainder of the tube, the

said conducting fluid forming two separate closed on itself, a conducting fluid filling a.

FAQ

' conducting upper surfaces, means adapted to rotate the said tube through agcertain angle and back again foreach'setting of the, said device, which angle is sufliciently great to allow a portion of the non-conducting fluid to flow past the conducting fluid from oneof the upper surfaicesof-tli'e latter to the other, j

' of fine openings adapted to-form'a passage two'contacts within the said tube, which contacts are ada ted to'be connected by the said 'uid, arestricted place in' the p I I closed on itself and rotatable about a fixed a pivot, a'conducting fluid filling a part of the tube, a non-conducting, fluid of a lesser spebore of the said-tube, which is formed by a system of fine openings adapted torform a passage for -tlie. .non-'conducting fluid, and

part of the said tube being, formed as a pocket adapted to receive a portion of the conducting fluid on the tube being-rotated and to retain the 'same 'unt-il;.-t-hecompletion of the. said rotation. 3. A timing device comprising a tube part of the tube, a non-conducting fluid of alessersp'ecific gravity than thecond'ueting fluid filling the remainder of the tube, the

said conducting fluidlforming two separate upper surfaces,meairsfadapted to rotate the saidtube'tthro-ughan adjustable angle and back again for each setting of the said device, which'angle is sufficiently great to allow a portion-of the non-conducting fluid to in the bore of the said tube, which isformed I flow past the conducting fluid from one of the upper surfaces of the-latter to the other,

two contacts within the said tube, which 1 contacts are adapted to be connected by the said conducting fluid, and a restricted place by a syste1n -of fine openings adapted to form a passage for the non-conducting fluid. 4. A timing device comprising a tube closed on itselfla conducting fluid filling. a

part of the tube, a non-conducting fluid of a lesser specific gravity. than the conducting again for each setting-of the said device,

which angle is sufiiciently great to allow a port-ion of the non-conducting fluid-to flow past the conducting fluidfrom one of the upper surfaces ofthe latter to the other, two

contacts within the said tube, which contacts I are those of a current limiter and -are adapt- :ed to be connected by the said conducting fluid, and a restricted place" in the boreof the said tube, which is formed by a system for the non-conducting fluid.

A timing device comprising a tube ductingfluid forming two separate, upper surfaces, crank-gearing adapted to rotate the said tube throiigh a certainangle and back again for each setting of the said device, which angle is sufficiently great to allow a portion of the non-conducting fluid v to flow past'the COIldllCtlIlg.fllll(l*f1OD1 one of the upper silrfaces of the latter to the other, two contacts within the sald tube, which contacts are adapted to be connected by the said conducting fluid, and a restricted place in the bore of the said tube, which is v formed by a system of fin'e openlngs adapted'to form a passage for ducting'fluid.

the non-con- HENRYSTAFEOBDHATFIELD.

Witnesses: I Y

I ,PAULKRIE'IGER,

l FRiTz LANDER. 

